Biting Tongues

Biting Tongues are a Manchester post-punk group active from 1980 to 1989. They form around an open invitation to experiment at Tony Wilson’s Factory Club, where a small group begins making sound to accompany a 16mm silent film project also called Biting Tongues. The film becomes a memory, but the name remains.

Formation and early line-up

The first line-up includes Ken Hollings, Howard Walmsley and Eddie Sherwood, with others involved in the early experiments. Colin Seddon and Graham Massey join after ending their Post Natals project. The group’s work draws on overheard and taped conversations, news reports, lines from old films, and writing by criminals, occultists and political theorists, giving their music a strong spoken and found-sound element. Their approach is openly experimental from the start, with a willingness to test new ideas and methods.

Early recordings

The first album, Don't Heal, is recorded in two short sessions and played straight through without pauses between tracks. Its two parts, Dark Room Skin Transfers and The White Valise, are recorded in different studios in 1980 and 1981. The 1980 material is recorded and mixed in a single afternoon at Drone Studios in Chorlton, using very little overdubbing, while the 1981 side is cut at Pennine Studios in Rochdale. Don't Heal is the first release on Situation 2 and sells modestly. The group also issues Live It as a cassette on New Hormones in 1981.

Expansion through film and recordings

By 1983 the group’s activity becomes broader and more varied. Libreville appears that year, alongside work on Feverhouse, a feature film project funded in part by Tony Wilson. Ken Hollings writes the film, Graham Massey appears on screen, and Factory later releases the finished 55-minute film through its Ikon video arm. The soundtrack deliberately avoids standard guitar, drums and bass arrangements, instead using loop-based, ambient material and the AMS digital delay capture device. It is strongly percussion-led and makes use of limited trumpet techniques associated with A Certain Ratio, Throbbing Gristle and 23 Skidoo. The soundtrack is later released on vinyl as Factory Fact 105. Biting Tongues also contribute the compilation track Iyabhoone / Iguargliness to Northern Lights in 1982.

Factory period

In 1984 Ken Hollings and Eddie Sherwood leave, and Phil Kirby joins on drums. His style pushes the music towards denser, faster and more jazz-influenced playing. The band begins working with John Hurst, an engineer who has previously worked with A Certain Ratio and Section 25, and who effectively becomes a fifth member by processing the sound through the mixing desk and devices such as a Powertran digital delay/looper and harmonizer. Tom Barnish joins as full-time trombonist, and Basil Clarke of Yargo contributes vocals. Colin Seddon later leaves to focus on African and Brazilian percussion and goes on to form the long-running Manchester ensemble Inner Sense Percussion Ensemble with Eddie Sherwood.

Factory releases the band’s belated commercial version of Feverhouse in 1985 on album and video, which leads to further recording work for the label. That year the group records the Trouble Hand EP at Square One Studios in Bury, with side two recorded at Out of the Blue Studios in Ancoats, where the band also rehearse. In 1986 Patrick Steer replaces Mark Derbey on bass, and the band records the Compressor EP for Factory. A 50-minute video, Wall of Surf, is also released through Ikon. The compilation tracks House of Hatchets and Half Deepmen appear in 1987 on Head Over Ears and Nightlands respectively.

Later years and unfinished release

In 1987 the rhythm section of Phil Kirby and Paddy Steer leaves to concentrate on Yargo after that group signs to London Records. Graham Massey, Howard Walmsley and Tom Barnish continue, with Massey moving the music towards MIDI and electronics after studying at Spirit Studios. Around this time the live group adds various brass players and percussionists, while the studio work begins to incorporate sampling and software more heavily. Massey also forms 808 State with Martin Price, Darren Partington, Andy Barker and A Guy Called Gerald, and in November 1988 he works on two albums at once: Recharge for Biting Tongues and Quadrastate for 808 State. Biting Tongues release the club-oriented single Love Out on Cut Deep in early 1989, featuring guest vocalist Denise Johnstone, but the label folds before Recharge reaches the shops. Test pressings of the album circulate among fans.

Discography

The band’s main releases include Don't Heal (1981), Live It (1981, cassette), Libreville (1983), Feverhouse (1985), Recharge (1989), the singles Evening State/Lock Up State (1986), Trouble Hand (1985), Compressor (1987) and Love Out (1989), plus the videos Feverhouse and Wall of Surf.